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Lakecia Benjamin and Phoenix
1218 Cartwright St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3R8
“Benjamin exudes star-quality and authority in equal measure.” – textura
New York-based saxophonist, arranger, composer, and bandleader Lakecia Benjamin is one of the most sought-after and respected players in jazz today. The Downbeat Critics Poll Rising Star Alto Saxophonist, Jazz Journalists Association Up & Coming Artist of the Year, and three-time Grammy nominee first attracted attention for her warm, resonant tone and dynamic playing, and she’s held it as a composer who uses traditional conceptions of jazz, hip hop and soul as a jumping-off point for the formidable, funk-inflected originals of her new album, Phoenix.
Benjamin honed her chops with Clark Terry and Terri Lyne Carrington, and is a noted accompanist for vocalists like Gregory Porter and Theo Crocker. Along the way, she’s worked with titans of contemporary jazz such as Robert Glasper, Brandee Younger, Jazzmeia Horn, and Anita Baker, and answered the bell for performances alongside Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, The Roots, and many more.
Her three-time Grammy-nominated album, Phoenix, is a deeply personal outing for the charismatic composer. True to its name, it’s a rebirth, but it also keeps an important thread of intergenerational jazz legacy alive, featuring guests that have inspired her musically and spiritually. Greats like Dianne Reeves, Wayne Shorter, Wallace Roney, and Angela Davis lent their considerable talents to Lakecia’s recreation of herself from the ashes, using her own melodic and assertive compositions as the vehicle.
“A crafty traditionalist who remains in step with the rhythms of the young generation” (The New Yorker), she’ll be joined by pianist Zaccai Curtis, bassist Elias Bailey, and drummer EJ Strickland.
No refunds.
